Preference vs Choice
by Rawrnomnom
Summary: Sometimes Sharrkan is a suave princely figure. Sometimes he's just an idiot. Inspired by vol. 17's extra comic: Magnostadt, Beards, and Yamuraiha. **edit: this was written before the entire translation for this extra was released, so a few bits of info are off.


"You look like an idiot."

Those five words are out of her mouth before Yamu has a chance to stop them. She regrets them immediately and shoves past Sharrkan before the red tinge of embarrassment colors his skin. It isn't exactly a rare thing for him to surprise her, to show up unannounced at her door. But this…this is ridiculous.

Yamu stalks farther into her apartment, discarding her wand and hat as she goes. She ignores the traces of secondhand embarrassment reflected in her full-length mirror as she searches for a clean robe.

_Just what was he thinking? Obviously too much time spent around his majesty._

Yamu pauses pulling the robe around her shoulders to toss a question back down the hall.

"What are you doing here anyway? And wearing that…_thing_. Where did you even find it?" She catches a glance at her still incredulous expression in the mirror and straightens it quickly. "Did Pisti put you up to this?"

_Seems like something she'd find amusing. _

Yamu doesn't move when she hears Sharrkan enter the room, having taken her questions as an invitation.

"No one made me do anything," he objects, clearly flustered. Yamu turns slowly to face him and has to clamp one hand over her face to hide the mix of revulsion and amusement that twists her mouth.

"Don't laugh at me, you old woman!" Sharrkan is across the room and towering over Yamu in two long strides. "This is your preference, right?"

Before she can react, he grabs the hand still covering her mouth and pulls her forward. Her robes slip with the sudden movement, pooling at the waist.

Yamu's cheeks burn at what he focuses on immediately and she shoves him a bit too harshly before he can get a good look.

"Who're you calling old, you—you _idiot swordsman_?" Her arms lock across her chest and she stands over him where he landed on her bed.

"Are you really gullible enough to believe every piece of gossip Pisti tells you?" she demands.

"Are you actually upset?" Sharrkan props himself up on his elbows and looks at her, his face honest behind that absurd piece of work. Yamu sighs with her entire body, defeated but amused.

"I'm upset that you're an idiot," she says, leaning in and grabbing a handful of his hair. He smiles lazily as she pulls his face closer to hers…and squeals in the most undignified way possible when Yamu rips the fake beard away from his face.

She turns the thing over in her hands, frowning at it, before tossing it over her shoulder in distaste.

"But Pisti said you had a preference for men with beards," Sharr whines. His voice is muffled by hands nursing his sore chin.

Yamu watches Sharrkan thoughtfully as she settles beside him on the bed. She's never told anyone about _him_, her real reason for admiring older men and mature facial hair. It would be too hard to explain in the short times they have together on nights like this.

"Just because someone has a preference…" She moves his hands away from his face and lowers herself until she's resting on his chest. Sharr sighs, slow and dejected, arms curling around her as he throws his head back onto the pillows.

Yamu can still see the faint signs of embarrassment on his face. She chuckles to herself as she slides further up and cups his face in her hands.

"Listen." She waits until his emerald eyes meet hers. "Someone can have a preference but choose something completely different. Got it?"

She runs her fingers across the smooth skin of his face, down his neck to his chest, watching him turn her words over in his mind.

Then he's looking at her like she's just handed him the entire world, eyes glowing like a child during their first festival. He beams at her in that lazy way of his and the kiss he steals is one of pure excitement and renewed faith. And just this once, Yamuraiha allows him to have his way. His hands dance across her skin and she leans into him.

It's several minutes before he softens his grip and slowly lets their kiss end. Then he's smiling up at her again, eyes lidded, a smug sense of self-worth painted on his face.

"I guess I can live with that."

Yamu rolls her eyes at him before she's drawn back into the moment and allows herself to be swept away.

_You really are an idiot._


End file.
